Detroit at Atlanta

Thrashers waste big lead before holding on to beat Red Wings

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Thrashers have a long
way to go on defense, but they know how to score, especially on the
power play.

"They have a ton of offensive talent," said Detroit coach Mike Babcock
after Patrik Stefan scored a late goal
to help Thrashers escape with a 7-6 win over the Red
Wings on Tuesday night.

The Thrashers showed their scoring potential with four second-period
goals. Then they showed how poor their defense can be by giving up a
four-goal lead in the third period.

The Red Wings rallied from a 6-2 deficit with four goals in the first
nine minutes of the third period.

The Thrashers finally recovered as Stefan's second goal of the game with
4:11 left in the third period put Atlanta back in the lead.

The Thrashers beat the Red Wings for the first in franchise history.

Stefan's go-ahead goal came on a breakaway as Detroit's Andreas Lilja lost his stick and was unable to block the shot.

"We came back and won the game in the last minutes against a strong
team," Stefan said. "I think the most important thing was to stay out of
the penalty box. They have a great power play. We scored some big goals
on the power play and then they scored some on the power play."

Pavel Datsyuk scored two goals for the Red Wings, who had a
three-game winning streak end and had been unbeaten in seven games
all-time against Atlanta.

Even with the 6-2 lead, the Thrashers were worried knowing Detroit would
open the third period with a two-man advantage.

"I thought if we don't get our act together we are gonna make this
close," Thrashers goaltender Michael Garnett
said.

As it turned out, Detroit pulled even at 6-6 midway through the period.

"It was like a photocopy (of the second period), just reverse it,"
Thrashers coach Bob Hartley said.

The Thrashers fell into penalty trouble early in the third period. The
Red Wings scored just one even-strength goal in the third period.

Brendan Shanahan sparked the flurry for Detroit 24 seconds into
the period on a 5-on-3 power play. Shanahan also had four assists for
five points.

"It was his 1,300th game and he gets five points, so that shows you
where he's at," Babcock said. "He was sick tonight. He should be sick
more often."

After Atlanta took a 3-2 lead early in the second period, Babcock
decided it was time to change goaltenders, pulling Jimmy Howard for Chris Osgood.

Atlanta scored three power-play goals in a span of less than two minutes
against Osgood to take the big lead.

"It didn't work tonight," said Babcock of changing goalies. "Would I do
it all over again? Absolutely."

Slava Kozlov, a former Red Wing, sparked the run as the
Thrashers made good on a two-man advantage. Marian
Hossa added his 15th goal and Ronald
Petrovicky's breakaway capped the second-period scoring spree,
giving the Thrashers a 6-2 lead.

Bobby Holik scored for Atlanta early in the second period off
Howard, who was pulled after stopping 13 of 16 shots.

J.P. Vigier opened the game by scoring an unassisted goal on a
short-handed breakaway, with Brad Larson skating by his side, to give
the Thrashers an early 1-0 lead.

Detroit answered with a power-play goal by Datsyuk in a two-man
advantage to pull even at 1-1. With less than three minutes left in the
opening period, Stefan scored his first goal of the game.

Garnett stopped 30 of 36 shots for Atlanta.

Notes

Atlanta recalled D Mark Popovic from Chicago of the AHL Tuesday
to fill in for Andy Sutton, who is out with flu symptoms.

The Red Wings were without captain Steve Yzerman. Yzerman
injured his groin in practice on Sunday and is expected to miss two to
four weeks.

With Detroit's loss, Dallas and Minnesota are the only NHL teams who
have never lost to Atlanta.

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